Gamo people

Last updated
Gamo People
Gamo
Languages
Gamo
Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox, Traditional African religion, Protestantism
Related ethnic groups
Dorze people

The Gamopeople are an Ethiopian ethnic group located in the Gamo Highlands of southern Ethiopia. They are found in more than 40 communities, including Chencha, Bonke, Kucha, Garbansa, Zargula, Kamba, Dorze, Birbir, Ochello, Boroda, Ganta, Gacho Baba, Eligo, Shella, Kolle, Dita, Kogo and Daramalo. [1]

Contents

History

The name "Gamo" means lion, which refers to the group's legacy as one of the Omotic people. Along with the Gofa people, they gave their names to the former Gamo-Gofa province of Ethiopia. Gofa broke away from the Gamo-Gofa zone in 2019.

Language

Initially, the word Gamo was thought to be a fruit by foreigners, mainly due to the fact that the Gamo people are known for some of their fruits[ citation needed ]. The Ethiopian government eventually recognized the language in 2000 to be taught in schools. [2]

Population

The 2007 Ethiopian national census reported that 1,104,360 people (or 1.56% of the Ethiopian population) identified as Gamo, of whom 139,308 were urban inhabitants and 965,052 rural. [3] However it is widely believed[ by whom? ] that the population of Gamo is considerably higher. [4]

The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region are home to the majority of the Gamo people. [3]

Economy

The Gamo sell fruit in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, including, bananas, mangos, apples, and papayas. The Gamo have developed the ability to conserve crop genetic resources while also practicing effective farming strategies. This has led them to grow over 65 varieties of barley, over 12 varieties of wheat, over 100 varieties of enset, as well as dozens of varieties of cassava, taro, and yam. [5] Many Gamo people are weavers that make traditional clothes such as Kuta, Gabi, Buluko, and Dunguza.

Religion and history

Originally, their belief system was rooted in traditional African religions, closely tied to nature. [6] Today most are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church or Protestantism P'ent'ay. The missionary activities of the Christians brought disturbances and tensions in their traditional society, threatening the old way of life and ecological balance. [7]

The Gamo's strict social hierarchy offer an example of how a caste system manifests itself in material culture. Artisans, such as ground stone makers and potters, rely primarily on craft production for their livelihood. [8]

Sport

Arba Minch Town Football Club (The Crocodiles) is playing in Betking Ethiopian premier league and Gamo Chencha Football Club (The Lions) is playing in Ethiopian Super League. Both are from Gamo zone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region</span> 1992–2023 regional state of Ethiopia

The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region was a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was formed from the merger of five kililoch, called Regions 7 to 11, following the regional council elections on 21 June 1992. Its government was based in Hawassa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arba Minch</span> City in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, Ethiopia

Arba Minch is a city and separate woreda in the southern part of Ethiopia. "Arba Minch" means "40 Springs", originated from the presence of more than 40 springs. It is located in the Gamo Zone of the South Ethiopia Regional State, about 500 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, at an elevation of 1285 meters above sea level. It is the largest town in Gamo Zone. It is surrounded by Arba Minch Zuria woreda. This Town has plenty of natural gifts including the bridge of God, Crocodile ranch, crocodile market, different fruits and vegetables, different fishes farmed from Chamo and Abaya Lakes, more than 40 springs, different cereals, and crops, surprisingly having the two big Lakes in the country, lake Abaya and Chamo, respectively, next to Lake Tana, etc. This makes the town one of the tourist destinations in Ethiopia, which comprises Nech Sar National Park, home to the country's varied wildlife and plant species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chencha</span> Place in Ethiopia

Chencha is a town in southern Ethiopia. Located in the Gamo Gofa Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, 37 kilometers north of Arba Minch, Chencha has a longitude and latitude of 6°15′N37°34′E and an elevation of 2732 meters above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorze people</span> Ethnic group in southern Ethiopia

The Dorze are one of the Gamo communities inhabiting the Gamo Highlands in southern Ethiopia. They speak the Dorze language, an Omotic tongue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Omo Zone</span> Zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, Ethiopia

North Omo Zone was a zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It was named after the Omo River, which flows in the western area of the former zone. In 2000 it was split into three zones: Dawro, Gamo Gofa, and Wolayita; and Basketo and Konta became special woredas.

Kucha is one of the woredas in the Part of the Gamo zone.The major town in Kucha is Selamber.

Chencha is a woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Zone, Chencha is bordered on the south by Arba Minch Zuria, on the west by Dita & Gofa on the north by Kucha and Boreda, and on the east by Mirab Abaya. Towns in Chencha include Chencha, Dorze, Dokko and Ezo.

Dita Dermalo was one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Dita Dermalo was bordered on the south by Bonke, on the southwest by Kemba, on the west by Zala Ubamale, on the north by Kucha, and on the east by Chencha. Towns in Dita Dermalo included Wacha and Zeda. Dita Dermalo was separated to Dita and Deramalo woredas.

Kemba is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Kemba is bordered on the southwest by the Debub Omo Zone, on the west by Uba Debretsehay, on the northwest by Zala, on the northeast by Deramalo, on the east by Bonke, and on the southeast by the Dirashe special woreda; the Weito River defines the boundary with Bonke and Dirashe. The major town in this woreda is Kemba.

Arba Minch Zuria is a woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. A part of the Gamo Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Arba Minch Zuria is bordered on the south by the Dirashe special woreda, on the west by Bonke, on the north by Dita and Chencha, on the northeast by Mirab Abaya, on the east by the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by the Amaro special woreda. This woreda also includes portions of two lakes and their islands, Abaya found in Lante kebele and Chamo found in all Ganta Kanchama Ochole and Zeyise kebeles. Nechisar National Park is located between these lakes. City of Arba Minch is surrounded by Arba Minch Zuria.

Bako Gazer is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is also called Southern Aari as it is part of the homeland of Aari people. Part of the Debub Omo Zone, Bako Gazer is bordered on the south by Bena Tsemay, on the west by the Mago River which separates it from Selamago, on the north by the Basketo special woreda and Gelila, on the northeast by the Gamo Gofa Zone, and on the east by Male. The administrative center of this woreda is Jinka; other towns in Bako Gazer include Tolta and Wub Hamer. Gelila and Male woredas were separated from Bako Gazer.

Melokoza is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Melokoza is bordered on the south by Basketo special woreda, on the southwest by the Debub (South) Omo Zone, on the northwest by the Konta special woreda, on the north by the Dawro Zone, and on the east by Demba Gofa and Geze Gofa; the Omo River defines its northwestern boundary separating the woreda from Konta and the Dawro Zone. The major town in Melokoza is Leha.

Dorze is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the Gamo Gofa Zone of Ethiopia. Alemayehu Abebe reports that while performing preliminary fieldwork in 1992, he found 14 kebeles in Chencha woreda with Dorze speakers.

Gamo Zone is a zone in the South Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. Gamo is bordered on the south by the Dirashe special woreda, on the southwest by Debub (South) Omo and the Basketo special woreda, on the northwest by Konta special woreda, on the north by Dawro and Wolayita, on the northeast by the Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by the Amaro special woreda. The administrative center of Gamo is Arba Minch.

Demba Gofa is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Demba Gofa is bordered on the south by Uba Debretsehay and Oyda, on the west by Geze Gofa, on the northwest by Melokoza, on the north by the Dawro Zone, on the east by Kucha, and on the southeast by Zala. Sawla is surrounded by Demba Gofa. Demba Gofa was part of former Gofa Zuria woreda.

Boreda is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Boreda is bordered on the southeast by Mirab Abaya, on the southwest by Chencha, on the west by Kucha, and on the north by the Wolayita Zone. Towns in Boreda include Zefene. Boreda was part of former Boreda Abaya woreda.

Mirab Abaya is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Mirab Abaya is bordered on the east and south by Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region on the east and Arba Minch Zuria on the south, on the west by Chencha, on the northwest by Borena, and on the north by the Wolayita Zone. Towns in Mirab Abaya include Birbir. Mirab Abaya was part of former Boreda Abaya woreda.

Dita is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Dita is bordered on the south by Arba Minch Zuria and Bonke, on the west by Deramalo, on the north by Kucha, and on the east by Chencha. Towns in Dita include Zeda. Dita was part of former Dita Dermalo woreda.

Deramalo is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Deramalo is bordered on the southeast by Bonke, on the southwest by Kemba, on the west by Zala, on the north by Kucha, and on the east by Dita. Towns in Deramalo include Wacha. Deramalo was part of former Dita Dermalo woreda.

በጎፋ ዞን የገዜ ጎፋ ወረዳ አስተዳደር gofa zone geze gofa woreda administration website

References

  1. Rave, Thomas (2006). Proceedings of the XVth International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Hamburg, July 20-25, 2003. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN   9783447047999.
  2. Woldemariam, Hirut (2017). "Language Planning Challenged by Identity Contestation in a Multilingual Setting: The Case of Gamo". Oslo Studies in Language. 8. doi: 10.5617/OSLA.4429 . S2CID   55925832.
  3. 1 2 "Census 2007, Country Level" Archived November 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , Table 3.1
  4. Shifa, Girma Temam; Ahmed, Ahmed Ali; Yalew, Alemayehu Worku (2018). "Socioeconomic and environmental determinants of under-five mortality in Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia: a matched case-control study". BMC International Health and Human Rights. 18 (1): 14. doi: 10.1186/s12914-018-0153-7 . PMC   5830345 . PMID   29486757.
  5. Zulch, Alan. "A Thousand Suns: The View From Ethiopia's Gamo Highlands". Our World .
  6. "Gamo Highlands – Ethiopia".
  7. "A Thousand Suns: The View from Ethiopia's Gamo Highlands - Our World".
  8. "Culinary Crafts and Foods in Southwestern Ethiopia: An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Gamo Groundstones and Pottery". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2021-09-09.

Further reading